Cigarette lighter



Feb. 23, 1965 A. MOREAU 3,

CIGARETTE LIGHTER Filed Jan. 29, 1963 INVENTOR.

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United States Patent 3,17%,313 CIGARETTE LHGHTER Roger Louis Alphonse Moreen, 64 Rue des Mocards, Fontenay-sousilois (Seine), France Filed Jan. 2h, 1963, Ser. No. 254,758 Claims priority, application Frauce,Mar. 1, 1962,

889,687, Patent 1,323,719

7 Claims. (Ci. 67- -71) The present invention relates to a lighter for smokers which uses as fuel a liquefied gas such as butane. Lighters of this kind have already been proposed in which the cartridge, provided or not with a sheath or outer case,

forming the body of the lighter is obturated, in storage position, by a plug engaged in an opening provided with a gasketed joint, supple, cylindrical or toric, made for instance of rubber, while the head of the lighter which is intended to be joined up with the cartridge contains all the lighting mechanism, the valve and the pressure reducer which extends in a gas supply such as a pipe penetrating in the cartridge through the joint; after removing the cap, this pipe can eventually be replaced by a hollow needle penetrating through the plug which forms a membrane and, in such a case, is itself made of a supple rubber.- In :a lighter of this kind, it is necessary to keep coupled the cartridge and the head of the lighter, to prevent the pressure of the gas which is applied upon the head through the gas supply from bringing about the expulsion of this head and the separation in two parts of the lighter. This result is generally obtained by disposing the'whole of the two parts of the lighter, head and. cartridge, in a case made of two pieces.

The device according to the present invention aims at rendering safer and in same timemore flexible the positive connect-ion which must exist between the cartridge and the head of the lighter. and is characterized in that the upper portion of the cartridge and the adjacent portion of the head of the lighter offer on their narrow sides complementary profiles which can penetrate into each other by rotating round the axis of the pipe after its introduction in the cartridge to interconnect the two parts of the lighter.

Through the arrangement of the present invention, as distinguished from even the screw threaded engagement of a cartridge and lighter head, it is possible to form a substantially flat conventional type lighter, since the complementary sides of the cartridgeand lighter head are perfectly aligned when the lighter head and the cartridge are brought into locking engagement. Also, there is ensured complete and immediate coupling of a fuel transferring means between the cartridge and'the lighter head just prior to the slight rotation needed to bring the cartridge and the lighter head into aligned and interlocked engagement. In other. words, interlocking engagement of the lighter head and cartridge are necessarily accom panied by eifective alignment of the two casing parts of the finished lighter as well as by full and eifective coupling of the fuel transfer means between the cartridge and the lighter head.

The assembly thus obtained can in addition be locked either by means of a cover set on the head of the lighter and covering the assembling joint, said cover having, in

arrests Patented Feb. 23, 71965 ICC ture Z'provided with an inlet pipe 3 in which is screwed a gas flow mouth-piece 4: this mouth-piece is provided with a toric or cylindrical gasketed joint 5 into which is inserted, in the storage condition, a plug (not illustrated), which maintains sealed the cartridge until removed, or which may be obturated by a'cap whichcan be perforated. In its operative position, the cartridge 1 is-joined up with a head 6 supporting an abrader wheel '7- and the usual flint (not illustrated) and :a pressure reducer 8 which communicates, on the one hand, with a gas inlet pipe 9 inserted in the mouth-piece 4 through the joint 5 and,'on the other hand, with a valve 1d, the openingof which is controlled by a fork 11 operated by the lever 12 hinged in 13 and supporting the control push button 14.

The upper part of the cartridge 1 presents a central rectangular abutment 15 in the narrow edges of which are provided grooves 16, 16, while the head 6 has, in its lower face, a corresponding rectangular recess 17, in the sides of which are provided ribs 18, 18, the whole forming an assembly ofthe dove tail type. When the gas inlet pipe '9 is engaged in the cartridge 1 by placing enough to cover. the assembling joint 16-18, 16-13,

and has, at its front end a notch 20 into which fits the abrader wheel '7. An aperture 21 is formed at the top of cover 19 to give passage to the push button 14 and an :aperture at the rear end gives access to the adjusting a known way, a notch in front of the valve and the light- 7 ing mechanism, either by means of two checks or small side plates fixed upon 'thecartridge, and also by both means at same time. i

By way of example, a form of embodiment of the invention is described hereafter and illustrated in the annexed drawing.

FIGURE 1 shows in longitudinal cross elevation the ligh-teraccording to the invention. v

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation view.

screw 22 of the pressurereducer 8.

Besides, two sidegcheeks, which can also be used as.

trimmings, are fixed on the cartridge: theupper edges of these cheeks cover the assembling joint 16-18, 16-18, and eventually the lower edge of the cover 19 when the two means are used simultaneously. a

' Thefiastening of the cheeks 23, 23', is made by means of a tubular brace 24 fitted in the cartridge and through which pass a screw 25 and a tapped tube 26 forming a nut, the screw 25 and the tube 26 being respectively connected with the cheeks 23, 23'. These cheeks 23, 23', have, in frontof the tubular brace 24, flanged recesses 27, 27', respectively housing the head 28 of the screw 25 and the head 29 of the nut 26; elastic splitted rings or clips secure'the fixation of the screw and 0f the nut on the cheeks but allow them in same time to rotate with respect to these cheeks. e

The two cheeks could also be respectively connected with a socket and a stem interconnected by a bayonet system or'by anysuitab-le device securing an elastic interlocking, such assplitted rings provided with a spring, push button or also they could be kept in place by means of a permanent magnet.

In the case when the locking of the two parts of the initsmedian part, a cover constituted by a small 3 plate 31 hinged at the rear in 32, to allow, on the one hand, the settin of the mechanism and, on the other hand, the adjustment of the pressure reducer and the exchange of the parts, simply by lifting said cover.

In the illustrated standard lighter, the lighter is obtained by means of a knurled nut operated with the thumb, but the invention applies also to any automatic or semi-automatic lighter in which the lighting is obtained by means of a single control organ.

What I claim is:

1. In a lighter for smokers using as fuel a liquefied gas such as butane, a removable cartridge containing said fuel and forming the lower portion of the body of the lighter, a head forming the upper portion of said lighter and including the usual fuel igniting means, together with a controller valve mechanism, a fuel intake pipe extending downwardly from said head when said head is held vertically, said pipe being adapted for insertion into said cartridge through a gasket joint forming part of said cartridge by downward insertion of the pipe into said gasket joint, said cartridge and said head having each relatively wide and narrow sides in transverse cross section and complementary in size to form a complete substantially flat lighter, the upper part of the cartridge and the lower adjacent wall of the head of the lighter having complementary interlocking detent surfaces, said detent surfaces connecting into each other by relative rotation of the head relatively to the cartridge about the axis of said pipe after the vertical movement of said pipe into the cartridge that distance which is required to bring into preliminary lateral alignment the said complementary interlocking detent surfaces, and the said rotation of said head and cartridge relatively to one another bringing the narrow and wide complementary sides of said cartridge and said head into alignment and interconnecting the said two parts of the lighter to form a single substantially flat lighter assembly while preventing the endwise separation of the said cartridge and head.

2. A lighter according to claim 1 characterized in that detent surfaces of the head of the lighter and the cartridge fit into each other similarly to a dovetail, with the said means of connection comprising interengaging flanges and grooves on the lighter and cartridge adapted for engagement when said head and cartridge are rotated relatively to one another about the axis of the pipe within said gasketed joint subsequent to insertion of the pipe into said joint a sufiicient distance to bring said flanges and grooves into alignment.

3. A lighter according to claim 1, characterized in that the upper part or head of the lighter, including the valve, the pressure reducer and the control mechanism, is provided with a cover which is high enough to cover the said detent surfaces between this head and the cartridge.

4. A lighter according to claim 1, characterized in that the joint between the head of the lighter and of the cartridge is secured by two side cheeks serving as trimmings.

5. In a lighter for smokers using as fuel a liquified gas such as butane, a removable cartridge containing said fuel and forming the lower portion of the body of the lighter, a head for said lighter including the usual igniting means together with a controller valve mechanism, a fuel intake extending from said head and adapted to enter into operative fuel flow engagement with said cartridge by the endwise movement of the upper end of the cartridge against the lower end of the lighter head in a particular angular position of said cartridge relatively to said head, said fuel intake being formed to remain in fuel flow engagement with said cartridge during limited relative rotation thereafter between said head and cartridge from said particular angular position, said cartridge and said head being each so shaped with relatively wide and narrow sides in transverse cross section as to form a substantially fiat lighter when rotated relatively to one another from said particular angular position about the axis of said fuel intake to a second position in which said sides are substantially complementary, the upper part of the cartridge and the lower adjacent wall of the head of the lighter having coacting interlocking detent surfaces connecting into each other by said relative rotation about the axis of said fuel intake after that first endwise movement necessary to bring into alignment the said coacting detent surfaces and simultaneously to effect operative engagement of said fuel intake and said cartridge, and the engagement of said detent surfaces by said relative rotation of said head and cartridge bringing the narrow and wide sides of said cartridge and said head into alignment and interconnecting the said two parts of the lighter to form a single substantially fiat assembly while preventing the endwise separation thereafter of the said cartridge from said head and the fuel intake.

6. In a lighter for smokers using as fuel a liquified gas such as butane, a removable cartridge containing said fuel and per se forming the lower portion of the body of the lighter, a head for said lighter including the usual igniting means together with a controller valve mechanism, a fuel intake tube extending from said head and adapted to enter said cartridge by the endwise movement of the upper end of the cartridge toward the lower end of the lighter head in a particular angular position of said cartridge relatively to said head, said fuel intake tube being formed to remain in engagement thereafter with said cartridge during limited relative rotation between said head and cartridge from said particular angular position, said cartridge and said head being each shaped with relatively wide and narrow sides in transverse cross section to form a substantially fiat lighter when rotated relatively to one another from said particular angular position to a second position in which said sides are substantially complementary, the upper narrow sides of the cartridge and the lower adjacent narrow walls of the head of the lighter having coacting interlocking detent surfaces containing into each other by said relative rotation about the axis of said fuel intake tube after that first endwise movement necessary to bring into alignment the said interlocking detent surface and simultaneously to effect operative engagement of said fuel intake tube and cartridge, and the engagement of said detent surfaces by relative rotation of said head and cartridge bringing the narrow and wide sides of said cartridge and said head into alignment and interconnecting the said two parts of the lighter to form a single substantially flat assembly .While preventing the endwise separation thereafter of the said cartridge from said head and the fuel intake tube.

7. In a lighter for smokers using as fuel a liquified gas such as butane, a removable cartridge containing said fuel and per se forming the lower portion of the body of the lighter, a head forming the upper portion of said lighter body and including the usual igniting means together with a controller valve mechanism, means forming fuel intake means extending between said head and said cartridge and adapted to be brought into operative fuel flow engagement by the endwise movement of the upper end of the cartridge toward the lower end of the lighter head in a particular angular position of said cartridge relatively to said head, said fuel intake means being formed to remain in engagement thereafter during relative rotation between said head and cartridge from said particular angular position, said cartridge and said head being each substantially rectangular in transverse cross section and complementary to form a substantially,

flat lighter when rotated relatively to one another from said particular angular position to a second position in which said sections are substantially complementary, the upper part of the cartridge and the lower adjacent wall of the head of the lighter having coacting interlocking detent surfaces on their outer walls connecting into each other by said relative rotation about the axis of said fuel intake means after that first endwise movement neces- 5 sary to bring into alignment the said complementary detent surfaces and simultaneously to effect operative engagement of said fuel intake means, and the engagement of said interlocking detent surfaces by relative rotation of said head and cartridge bringing-the narrow and wide sides of said cartridge and said head into alignment and interconnecting the said two parts of the lighter to form a single substantially flat assembly while preventing the endwise separation thereafter of the said cartridge and head, and the fuel intake means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS FOREIGN PATENTS 8/56 France. 4/59 France.

i EDWARD J. MICHAEL, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A LIGHTER FOR SMOKERS USING AS FUEL A LIQUEFIED GAS SUCH AS BUTANE, A REMOVABLE CARTRIDGE CONTAINING SAID FUEL AND FORMING THE LOWER PORTION OF THE BODY OF THE LIGHTER, A HEAD FORMING THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID LIGHTER AND INCLUDING THE USUAL FUEL IGNITING MEANS, TOGETHER WITH A CONTROLLER VALVE MECHANISM, A FUEL INTAKE PIPE EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY FROM SAID HEAD WHEN SAID HEAD IS HELD VERTICALLY, SAID PIPE BEING ADAPTED FOR INSERTION INTO SAID CARTRIDGE THROUGH A GASKET JOINT FORMING PART OF SAID CARTRIDGE BY DOWNWARD INSERTION OF THE PIPE INTO SAID GASKET JOINT, SAID CARTRIDGE AND SAID HEAD HAVING EACH RELATIVELY WIDE AND NARROW SIDES IN TRANSVERSE CROSS SECTION AND COMPLEMENTARY IN SIZE TO FORM A COMPLETE SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT LIGHTER, THE UPPER PART OF THE CARTRIDGE AND THE LOWER ADJACENT WALL OF THE HEAD OF THE LIGHTER HAVING COMPLEMENTARY INTERLOCKING DETENT SURFACES, SAID DETENT SURFACES CONNECTING INTO EACH OTHER BY RELATIVE ROTATION OF THE HEAD RELATIVELY TO THE CARTRIDGE ABOUT THE AXIS OF SAID PIPE AFTER THE VERTICAL MOVEMENT OF SAID PIPE INTO THE CARTRIDGE THAT DISTANCE WHICH IS REQUIRED TO BRING INTO PRELIMINARY LATERAL ALIGNMENT THE SAID COMPLEMENTARY INTERLOCKING DETENT SURFACES, AND THE SAID ROTATION OF SAID HEAD AND CARTRIDGE RELATIVELY TO ONE ANOTHER BRINGING THE NARROW AND WIDE COMPLEMENTARY SIDES OF SAID CARTRIDGE AND SAID HEAD INTO ALIGNMENT AND INTERCONNECTING THE SAID TWO PARTS OF THE LIGHTER TO FORM A SINGLE SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT LIGHTER ASSEMBLY WHILE PREVENTING THE ENDWISE SEPARATION OF THE SAID CARTRIDGE AND HEAD. 